Expanding filing device



March 1955 H. v. MARTIN EXPANDING FILING DEVICE Filed NOV. 9, 1950 FIG. 2

FIG.

INVENTOR HOMER V. MARTIN,

ATTORNEY Un 'rd m P This invention relates to envelopes, wallets, and cases for holding a plurality of papers, canceled checks, cards,

or other objects and is especially suitable for use in the drawer of a filing cabinet.

The principal object of this invention is to provide such a filing device incorporating an expanding top.

A further object of the invention is to provide an expanding filing envelope which can be shipped knocked down and can readily be assembled by applying a metal or similar clip at each end of the device so that the clip is anchored in place but the two sides can readily move about the bottom as a pivot and thus give extreme convenience in handling whatever may be placed in the envelope, wallet, or other container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method of quick assembly of an expanding filing device wherein a clip is loosely positioned in an end wall of the device and then passes thru one or more movable portions of the blank and one, two, or more portions which are not movable, the movable portion or portions having arcuate slots to permit a pivotal movement of the side or sides of the container. Preferably there are two movable sides, and the ends are bent over to form tabs.

Expanding files have been on the market for a long time but the ones which are satisfactory are either extremely difficult to assemble or they are shipped in assembled form. The present invention seeks to furnish a file which can be produced economically and is shipped knocked down accompanied by small right-angular clips so that the ultimate purchaser can readily bend the file blanks to shape as they are needed, and then apply the clips, the operation being so simple that an inexperienced clerk after a few moments instruction can assemble the files. The device illustrated is appreciably less expensive than the accordion files and requires less storage space.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an end view of an expanding filing device embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse section looking toward one end.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section thru one end showing the clip ready for insertion.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of one end showing the clip inserted but not yet bent down.

Figure 5 is a vertical central section thru the clip.

Figure 6 shows a portion of the blank.

Referring particularly to Fig. 6, the blank consists of a single sheet of suitable material such as fibre board, manila, etc., having creases 10 to form a bottom 11, creases 12 to form sides 14 each with an integral flap 15, creases 16 to divide the ends 17 from the tabs 18, and slits 19 to separate flaps 15 on each side of the end 17. Near the upper outer corner of each flap is an arcuate slot 20; the end piece 17 has an opening 21 which will register with the slots 20, and the tab 18 has a similar opening 22, also registering not only with the opening 21 but with the two slots 20 as well. The openings 21 and 22 fit the fastening means to be described later rather snugly whereas the arcuate slots 20 are elongated so as to be at least three and preferably five times the width of the openings21 and 22. A highly desirable but nonessential portion of the device is the cover or lid 25 which is integral with one of the sides 14.

Referring particularly to Fig. l: the cover 25 has an unbroken portion extending from its hinge or crease 26 with the proximate side 14 and having a plurality of creases 28 to allow for the expansion; the final crease 29 2,704,184 Patented Mar. 15, 1955 is used when the file is expanded to its full capacity and leaves at the free end a tuck-in portion 30. When the file is in its collapsed position, the entire end from the near crease 31 to the free end becomes the tuck-m portion. 7

As best seen in Fig. 3, the fastening means is a clip noted generally as 33 consisting of 'a major portion 34 and a short arm 35 at right angles thereto. In each of the ends 17 and between the opening 21 and the crease 12 there is a recess 36 substantially identical with the openings 21 and 22 and the line therewith. This recess 36 allows for insertion of the end 37 of the long portion of the clip so that the clip then engages the inside surface of the end 17 and the outside surface of the proximate flap 15. At this time the arm 35 normal to the major portion of the clip is in alignment with the opening 21 in the end 17, the opening 22 in the down-turned and in-turned flap or tab 18 and with the two slots 20.- The arm 35 is pushed thru these four holes and the arm 35 is bent about its mid-portion 37 until it is in contact with the inner surface of the tab 18, as best seen in Fig. 2. The dotted lines in Fig. 5 show the arm 35 before bending and the full lines show this arm in final position in which the clip 33 is firmly anchored to the non-movable portion of the expanding filing device and the two flaps are free to move as, for example, from the expanded position in Figures 1 and 2 to the closed position shown in plan in Fig. 4. In this figure the short arm 35 of the clip has not yet been turned down.

In folding the blank the two sides are bent about the crease 10 to vertical position and the two flaps 15 are turned at right angles so they are parallel. The end piece 17-18 is then bent about its crease 12 and the tab 18 is then bent about its crease 16 until it lies parallel with the inside flap 15. The clip is put in the recess 36 and pushed down until the end of the short arm 35 engages the opening 21. A slight pressure projects the arm 35 thru the four thicknesses and the arm 35 is then pressed down against the tab 18 and the device is ready for use with or without the integral top or cover 25 which, however, is preferred, and I find it convenient to print the directions for assembling on this top panel or cover 25. When the file is expanded, the flaps 15 travel as far as permitted by the arcuate slots thru which the clip passes. The top edge 41 of the flap may be curved or slanted so that when the fiap or flaps are hinged out movement of the top of the low side of the fiap 15 is resisted, as best seen in Fig. 2, by coming in contact at. 44 with the inside of the bent over tab 1718, thus relieving strain on the end of slot 22, as the point 44, as well as the length of the slot 22, governs the maximum opening movement. The clip has square and preferably rounded edges as the blunt edge resists cutting into the margins of the curved slots. If circumstances so suggest the major portion 34 of the clip can'have a pointed end and the recess 36 can be made at the time of assembly altho this is not preferred.

It will be noted that when the envelope or wallet is n a drawer it will take up minimum space and when it 1s desired to examine the contents the file will readily expand at the top for convenient handling of filed matter whether papers, cards, invoices, canceled checks, or other objects. Any other form of securing means could be substituted for the preferred type 34-35, as for example a McGill fastener, a bachelors button type, a mere rivet, etc., but the clip illustrated is much preferred.

When the device is used as a wallet, a piece of tape 42 sufficient to surround the wallet and make a bow made be stapled as at 43 to one of the sides preferably the one that carries the integral lid or cover 25.

What I claim is:

1. A knock-down filing device having an expanding top for easy reference to the filed matter therein comprising a bottom, two sides, an inturned fiap at each end of each of said sides, two end pieces, and two inturned and down turned tabs forming extensions of the end pieces, each of said inturned flaps having near its upper corner an arcuate slot, the two end piecesand the two tabs each having an opening registering with the slots and the two end pieces each having a recess below the 1113.101 portion partly in contact with the outer surface of each end piece with its lower end extending thru the recess into contact with the inner surface of the end piece and with the proximate flap, while the minor portion extends thru the two openings and the slot and then engages the inner surface of the tab and is bent parallel thereto, whereby the clips are anchored with respect to the bottom and the end pieces while the proximate'sides may hinge on the bottom to open to the extent permitted by the length of the arcuate slots.

2. An expanding filing device comprising a folded blank having a bottom, two end pieces, two sides, and a flap extending inward from each side, one of said sides being hinged to the bottom and its flap having a curved slot with the hinge as a center, and a securing means anchored in each of the two end pieces and passing loosely through the slot, each end piece having an integral inturned tab, the securing means being anchored also in the tab, the top edge of the flaps of the hinged side sloping upwardly from its free corner to the point of junction with the side, the distance from the hinge to the corner being at least equal to the distance from the corner to the center of the fold of the tab, whereby when the side is hinged out the flap will frictionally engage the inside junction of the tab and the end piece and cooperate with the securing means in limiting movement of said one side.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 289,161 Stimson Nov. 27, 1883 311,951 Bright Feb. 10, 1885 332,951 Scott Dec. 22, 1885 522,237 Sexton July 3, 1894 646,638 Cutler Apr. 3, 1900 780,445 Ramsay Jan. 17, 1905 1,375,794 McSheehy Apr. 26, 1921 1,734,642 01m Nov. 5, 1929 2,537,801 Swatsick Jan 9, 1951 2,660,363 Trickett, Jr., et al. Nov. 24, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,246 Great Britain 1910 

